V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N: (Effects Don’t Last)

July 31, 2018

For anyone who’s ever felt that five minutes after you’ve been on vacation it seems as though you’d never gone, you’re not alone.

While taking a vacation helps relieve worker stress, that stress returns almost immediately for 24% of workers, according to an American Psychological Association survey of 1,512 adults. Another 40% said the benefits of vacation disappear in a few days. In addition, 49% said that they come back to a heavier-than-normal workload often because they have to address problems that arose while they were away.

That’s not to say that vacations don’t have a good effect on workers: They often return in a better mood (68%), with more energy (66%) and motivation (57%). They also feel less stressed (57%).

In addition, they felt that they were more productive (58%) and that the quality of their work was better (55%).

Company culture makes a difference, survey respondents say. In companies that encourage workers to take vacations, employees are more likely to find stress relief and that the relief lasts longer.

In companies that encourage time off, 93% of employees say they are able to enjoy their time off compared with 74% in organizations that don’t.